Apparatus for making cigars



July 19, 1960 -M. VERBAKEL APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARS sile d F 1. 11. 1958 pal United States Patent APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARS Martinus Verbakel, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor t 'N .V. Vereenigde Tabaksindustrieen Mignot 8: De Block, lEmlhoven, Netherlands, a company of the Netheran s Filed Feb. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 714,629

Claims priority, application Netherlands Feb. 15, 1957 '4 Claims. (Cl. 131-29) The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for manufacturing a cigar having a conical or spherical head-end, in which a tobacco product, e.g. a bunch or a plug of scrap tobacco forming the filler of a cigar, is wrapped by means of a rolling mechanism in a leaf placed on a supporting surface and locally provided with glue. For the manufacture of bunches consisting of a plug of filler tobacco and a binder by means of a rolling apron provided on a table and a roller cooperating therewith it has not yet been proposed to guide the leaf during the rolling process, so as to lay the last part of the leaf conically or spherically around the head-end of the bunch. This applies also to a finished cigar consisting of a plug of filler tobacco and a single leaf only and made with the aid of such an apron and such a roller.

For the application of a wrapper on a prefabricated bunch one generally uses a set of rollers and a movable leaf holder, which is so guided as to have the wrapper nestled tight onto the entire surface of the bunch, that means also onto the conical or spherical head-end thereof. In that case the leaf-holder must carry out a very complicated movement.

The invention has the object to provide a universal method, which makes it possible in a simple manner to wrap a leaf of tobacco around a bunch or a cigar, consisting of a filler and a single leaf or around complete cigars consisting of filler, binder and wrapper, in such a manner, that after trimming, if necessary, immediately a well-shaped bunch or a well-shaped cigar having a conical or spherical or truncated conical or spherical head-end is obtained. It consists in the step of moving and stretching, after the tobacco product has been partially enwrapped by the leaf, the last part of the leaf by means of a movable member obtained in the leaf supporting surface, whereby said last part of the leaf is nestled closely in a conical or spherical plane onto the portion of the tobacco product stuffing the head-end of the cigar.

An apparatus for carrying the method according to the invention into effect may comprise a supporting surface ad-apted to carry a leaf, a rolling device movable over said supporting surface and adapted to roll a toof said table and adapted to carry, to move and to stretch the last part of said leaf.

An apparatus which is particularly adapted for mak ing bunches or cigars having a single leaf may comprise a table, a rolling apron lying on said table, a reciprocating roller cooperating with said apron and a movable member provided in the supporting surface of said table, said movable member being left uncovered by said apron and adapted to carry, to move and to stretch the last part of said leaf.

Advantageously the movable member provided in the leaf supporting surface may be constructed as a rotatably mounted box, which is connected to a suction conduit and has a perforated upper wall.

The invention also relates to a cigar of a bunch having a conical or spherical head-end manufacturing according to the method as described hereinbefore.

For the elucidation of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing. Therein is:

Fig. 1 a plan view of a rolling table provided with a rolling apron, a roller and a device for moving and stretching the last part of a preformed leaf of tobacco,

Fig. 2 an elevational view of the rolling table and equipment as shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 a variant of the apparatus according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 a second variant of the apparatus according to Fig. 1, which variant is particularly suitable for the manufacture of cigars consisting of filler and a single leaf only, and

Fig. 5 a plan view of a table for supporting a leaf and a set of rotary rollers adapted to be moved over said table.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a rolling table is designated by 1. Stretched on said table is a rolling apron 2 cooperating in the usual manner with a roller 3 mounted on a reciprocating frame 4. The rolling table has under the rolling apron a boxlike construction and said box is connected at 5 to a suction conduit. The upper wall of the rolling table and the apron are locally provided with perforations, so that a leaf 6 of tobacco laid on the rolling apron is held thereon by suction. The left marginal portion 7 of the upper plate of the rolling table 1 projects from the box shaped part of said table and has a circular opening 8, in which a rotary box 9 is mounted. Said box has a locally perforated upper wall and its upper surface extends substantially in the supporting surface of the rolling table 1, 7. This box is also connected to a suction conduit 10. It is held by a spring 11 in a starting position and is angularly moved, when the roller bacco product, eg a bunch or a plug of scrap tobacco forming the filler of a cigar, positioned within said device over said surface and a movable member provided in said supporting surface adapted to carry the last part of the leaf and to move and to stretch, after the tobacco product has been partially enwrapped by the leaf, the last part of said leaf, whereby said part of the leaf is nestled closely in a conical or spherical plane onto the portion of the tobacco product stuffing the head-end of the cigar.

An apparatus, which is particularly suitable for the application of a wrapper to a bunch may comprise a table adapted to carry a leaf, a set of rollers bounding a rolling space for the tobacco product to be enwrapped and being adapted to be moved over said table and a movable member provided in the supporting surface 3 is passing it, by means of a pin 12 provided on the frame 4 of the roller 3 and a pin 13 cooperating with said pin 12 and provided on the lower surface of the box 9.

If the roller 3 is in its rearmost position 3', a preformed bunch 14' is placed in the pocket of the apron 2 in'such a manner, that it projects with its conical or spherical end portion 15' from said apron. At the same time a preformed wrapper 6 is laid in a predetermined position on the apron. Preferably this positioning of the wrapper is carried out by an automatically working leaf-conveyer (not shown), which takes the leaf from a cutting matrix and lays it always in the right position on the rolling apron. The wrapper must be so laid on the apron as to cover the box 9 partially with its end portion 16 destined for covering the conical or spherical 3 covered with the wrapper, the box 9 is rotated through a certain angle by means of the pins 12, 13 and thereby the end portion 16 of the wrapper is stretched along its edge facing the side-edge of the plate 7 of the rolling table and turned with its point a little bit towards th e fire-end of the bunch. It has appeared that due to the deformation of the end portion 16 caused by said move-- ment of the rotary box the Wrapper nestles closely in a conical or spherical plane onto the head-end of the bunch. Since said end portion of the wrapper is previously provided with glue the wrapper remains in the shape, in which it is applied to the bunch. A little later a block 17 is pushed onto the head-end of the cigar to smooth out the wrapper the creases, if any.

The complete cigar delivered by the rolling apron need only be matted and at least trimmed at its fire-end. If also the head-end or the cigar is trimmed, said ends Will obtain an open truncated conical or spherical shape.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, which is also meant for applying a wrapper to a bunch, the rolling table 1 has the same Width as the apron 2. Outside the side wall of the rolling table 1 a box 19 is mounted for swinging movement about the axis '18. The end portion 16 of the wrapper must be laid on said box which also has a perforated upper wall and is connected to a suction conduit. Moreover, it would be possible to support said box in such a way as to permit it to carry out a linear movement parallel to the movement of the roller 3. In that case the axis 18 of the box would have to be supported by a reciprocating holder.

The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4 is adapted to roll a leaf 6, 16 around a plug of filler tobacco. In this case the perforated rotary suction box 9 is positioned within the area of the table covered by the rolling apron. However, the apron has a recess 20 uncovering a part of the rotary box 9, so that the end portion 16 of the wrapper can be laid on said box. Also in this case the end-portion 16 of the leaf 6 is so moved and stretched as to form a conical or spherical head-end on the cigar. This apparatus delivers bunches or cigars consisting of filler tobacco and a single leaf only.

In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 5 the rolling mechanism is constituted by a table 21 on which the leaf 22 is laid and a set of rotary rollers 23 adapted to be reciprocated over said table. The tobacco product, e.g. a plug of filler tobacco or a bunch, is placed into the rolling space bounded by the rollers 23. If the tobacco product is rolled by means of said set of rollers over the table the leaf is wound around said product.

The last portion 24 of the leaf 22 lies on a rotary box 25, which is mounted in the table 21 and is connected to a suction conduit. The table 21 and the box 25 are both provided with small suction apertures 26. The box is rotated through an angle by means of an arm 27 connected to its axis and a push member 28 attached to the set of rollers 23 and it is biased by a spring (not shown). If the box is rotated the last portion 24 of the leaf 22 is moved and stretched, so that it nestles in the right manner onto the conical or spherical headend of the tobacco product, which is held between the rollers 23. This apparatus is very suitable for applying a r '4 a wrapper to a bunch. However, it may also be used for winding a binder around a plug of filler tobacco placed in the set of rollers 23.

What I claim is:

.;l. An apparatus for the manufacture of a cigar-shaped tobacco product consisting at least of a body of filler tobacco and a binder leaf, comprising, in combination, means defining a supporting surface adapted to receive a leaf thereon with said leaf deposited on said supporting surface in a predetermined position, a rolling device movable to and fro over said supporting surface and adapted to receive the tobacco body and to wind the leaf around the tobacco body, and a movable auxiliary member having a surface substantially flush with said supporting surface, and adapted to be moved with its surface substantially parallel to said supporting surface and to support and to at least partially hold the last portion of the leaf, whereby to locally stretch said last portion of the leaf to permit said leaf portion to nestle closely into the head-end of said tobacco body.

2. An apparatus for the manufacture of a cigar-shaped tobacco product consisting at least of a body of filler tobacco and a binder leaf, comprising, in combination, means defining a supporting surface adapted to receive a leaf thereon with said leaf deposited on said supporting surface in a predetermined position, a rolling device movable to and fro over said supporting surface and adapted to receive the tobacco body and to wind the leaf around the tobacco body, and a movable auxiliary member having a surface substantially flush with said supporting surface and lying at least partially within the confines of said supporting surface, and adapted to be moved with its surface substantially parallel to said supporting surface to support and to at least partially hold the last portion of the leaf, whereby to locally stretch said last portion of the leaf to permit said leaf portion to nestle closely into the head-end of said tobacco body.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting surface is provided by a stationary table, said rolling device comprises a plurality of parallel rollers adapted to be rotated in the same direction and bounding a rolling space for the tobacco body to be wrapped and said movable auxiliary member is in the form of a turn-table flush in said stationary table.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the supporting surface is provided by a rolling apron lying on a stationary table, said rolling device comprising a roller cooperating with said apron and being adapted to be reciprocated over said apron whereby to move the apron loop-wise over said table and said movable auxiliary member is mounted substantially flush with the upper side of said apron on said table, said apron leaving said auxiliary member uncovered.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 140,501 Hennaman July 1, 1873 2,592,065 Petri Apr. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 419,381 Great Britain Nov. 12, 1934 

